Placard holder for cars



March 1, 1932. L. A. HOERR ET AL 1,847,215

PLACARD HOLDER FOR CARS Filed April 17-, 1930 Fig. 1 2v X 3 \I 2iventors v L. A. Hoerr W. N. Hoerr Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATESPA TE r OF-IIFIICE LOUIS A. HOERR AND WILLIAM N. HOERR, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY,.OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI, A CORPORA- TION OF MISSOURI PLAGARD noLnEnroBcAns Applicationfiled April 17,

Our invention relates to a holder for placards such as are used toindicate the contents of railway cars, particularly tank cars. Such.placards must be changed to indicate the contents of the car, and alsoto indicate whether it is empty or full.

The object of our invention is to provide a holder simple and durable inconstruction which will effectively retain the placards and at the sametime permit easy exchange of the placards to indicate varying contentsand conditions.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of holder madein accordance with our invention Figure 1 is a front elevation; Figure 2is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 but showing theretaining frame in release position; Figure 3 is a section taken on theline 33 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged side view, partly insection and partly in elevation, of the upper end of the holder; andFigure 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view.

The base or body portion of the holder consist of a rectangular metalplate 1 provided with screw or rivet holes 2 by means of which the plateis secured either directly to a wall of the car, or to a support carriedby the car. The metal around the holes is raised on the rear face toallow the heads of the fasteners to lie flush with the front face and tospace the plate from its support to provide room for reinforcing flutes3. A pair of bearings 4 are provided by stamping out portions of theplate. Pivoted in these hearings is a wire frame 5 having a portionbetween the bearings bent out of the plane of the frame to form a cam 6.Bearing against this cam is a cupshaped member 7 telescoping with ahollow bracket 8 secured to the base plate. Interposed between themember 7 and the bracket is a stiff coil spring 9, the tension of which,when the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 4, holds theframe firmly against the plate or against a placard positioned betweenthe frame and plate.

Formed in the plate are a number (preferably six) of recesses 10, and onthe frame 5 corresponding projections 11 which may be made by pinchingup portions of the wire of 1930. Serial No. 445,008.

the frame. When a placard is placed between the frame and plate thepressure of the spring 9 either causes the projection 11 to pierce theplacard, or to force portions of it into the recesses, in either casefirmly securing the placard in position between the parts.

To provide means for raising and lowering the frame to insert and removethe placards the lower side has a portion bent out of the plane of theframe to form a grip or handle 12. This point is preferably that atwhich the ends of the wire forming the frame are secured together. Thismay be done by flattening the ends and brazing or welding them together.

When the frame is in the extreme raised position, as shown in Figure 2,the pressure of the spring will be in a direct line against the bearingsso that the frame will remain in this position unsupported, leaving bothhands of the operator free to change the placards.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the

secured to a car, of a pair of bearings formed of integral portions ofthe plate, a retaining frame pivoted in said bearings and provided witha cam situated between the said bearings, a pair of telescoping members,one secured to the plate and the other bearing on said cam, and a springsituated between said telescoping members.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base plateadapted to be secured to a car, said plate being provided with recesses,of a pair of bearings formed of integral portions of the plate, aretaining frame pivoted in said bearings and provided with a camsituated between the saidbearings, a pair of telescoping members, onesecured to the plate and the other bearing on said cam, and a springsituated between said telescoping members, said frame being providedwith projections cooperating with the recesses in said plate to secure aplacard positioned between said parts.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures, this 14th day ofApril, 1930.

LOUIS A. HOERR. WILLIAM N. HOERR.

